DAvE LAruE’S GEAr
basses Music Man Bongo 4- and 5-string, Bongo
fretless, and Sterling 4-string
Amps Ampeg SVT4-Pro head, Ampeg SVT cabinets,
Ampeg SVX software (studio)
Effects TC Electronic G-System, Ernie Ball volume
pedal, Chellee Odelya distortion
Strings, Picks, and Accessories
Ernie Ball Extra Slinkys (.040, .060, .070, and .095) on
4-strings, with an added . 125 on 5-strings, Music Man
heavy picks, Music Man straps
to the SVT4-PRO. I use an Ernie Ball
volume pedal in front of it, and in the
inserts I patch in the Odelya. It’s a really
nice sounding unit that I use live and in
the studio.
I have the overdrive set up to get that
lead sound that you heard on the record,
which is more of an out-front, soloing distortion. The one thing that I would like to
do is be able to switch to a less-distorted
but still kind of a grungy sound for playing a dirty bass track behind everything—
not an out front kind of thing. Just to get
a little grunge in sometimes. Right now,
it’s either all or nothing.
Before we end, let’s settle one thing
once and for all: Although the playing
is more restrained on the Flying Colors
album, people generally regard you as
chops guys. Where do you stand on the
eternal feel-versus-speed debate?
Morse: I sort of have to distinguish myself
from the guys that have soooo many chops,
and John Petrucci is the perfect example.
In terms of being a virtuoso, John has
taken it as far as anybody I’ve ever seen
on electric guitar. I guess I just think of
myself more as a writer than a guitar guy.
Guitar is my instrument, so when I solo
I’m basically writing a little bit on the
spot. For me, the content is everything.
If I’m ever in a situation where I time it
wrong, where I run overtime in a solo and
end up putting in a few bars of just stuff
that doesn’t mean anything, it deeply dis-
appoints me. Sometimes things like that
do happen if you guess wrong.
LaRue: It’s all about music. The reason
I love Steve’s music is because there’s
such a depth of melody—he always plays
melodies. Although the facility thing
kind of separates us [from the pack] a
little bit, it sets us apart because we can
do so many different things. Steve has
this intervallic kind of depth that a lot
of guys who just play scales can’t get into
their lines. They play too fast and too
much of it, and it just sounds like they’re
practicing. Steve’s lines have always had
more depth.
